Draper headers generally include a header frame, an elongate cutter bar along a front edge of the frame including a cutter bar beam which carries a plurality of knife guards for guiding reciprocating movement of a sickle knife across a front edge of the cutter bar. On the header is also mounted a draper deck assembly including a draper drive and idler roller each arranged at a respective end of the draper assembly spaced apart along the cutter bar with an axis of each roller extending substantially at right angles to the cutter bar, a draper forming a continuous loop of flexible material wrapped around the rollers so as to define a front edge of the draper adjacent the cutter bar, a rear edge of the draper spaced rearwardly of the cutter bar, top strand of the draper on top of the roller and a bottom strand of the draper below the rollers. The cut crop thus falls rearwardly onto the top strand of the canvas and is transported longitudinally of the header.
The header of this type can be used simply for forming a swath in which case the material is carried to a discharge opening of the header and deposited therefrom onto the ground. Headers of this type can also be used for feeding a combine harvester so that the materials are carried to an auger positioned at the discharge opening of the header for carrying the materials from the discharge opening into the feeder-house of the combine harvester. Yet further, headers of this type can be used for hay conditioners in which the material from the discharge opening is carried into conditioning rolls. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the use of the header is not limited to particular types of agricultural machine but can be used with any such machine in which it is necessary to cut a crop and to transport that crop when cut longitudinally of the header for operation thereon.
The draper normally comprises a fabric which is coated with a rubber material which is then vulcanized after forming of the fabric into the required shape and after attachment thereto of transverse slats.